


The Betrothal

by ArrivingHellOnHeels



Series: Fanfiction Anthology Experiment [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Inspired by Art, M/M, Pining Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 05:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18359960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrivingHellOnHeels/pseuds/ArrivingHellOnHeels
Summary: Harry and Draco were betrothed from the moment of their birth, but after years of amiable relationships between their kingdoms the lines blurr regarding the arrangement.





	The Betrothal

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Royalty AU](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/469580) by Carpemermaidtales. 



> Okay, this story is part of a collection I wrote for an assignment, if you’ve read my notes before you might know I’m working on a thesis about fanfiction. I convinced a teacher she should allow me to write fanfiction for the creative course as well because I’m therefore reaffirming my thesis.  
> I made kind of an anthology with different types of fanfiction (only the ones I was capable of writing in time for my due date) and explained more or less what I understood about the types of fanfiction, I also made an introduction giving a general explanation about fanfiction. I’ll leave the notes I added to my anthology in the end notes.  
> Here’s what came from that experiment.

Once upon a time there were four adjacent kingdoms in a valley. Three of them had been amiable with one another since the beginning of history; meanwhile the other, the Slytherin kingdom, lived ages enclosed inside the walls that surrounded its perimeter, away from all the other kingdoms as they traded with one another and made peace. Eventually, time came when a new reign overtook the Slytherins and they opened their gates. To welcome all the monarchs from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff realms a great Welcome Ball was hosted, it would mark the beginning of a new era for the four kingdoms.  
Lily and James Potter from Gryffindor, Pandora and Xenophilus Lovegood from Ravenclaw, and the widower Amos Diggory along with his son prince Cedric from Hufflepuff all attended to welcome Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy’s new-born, Draco, the real motive of the ball, into the world. The presentation of the prince allowed all the kingdoms to form different alliances with the Malfoys, the most remarkable being the possible betrothal of the new-born Malfoy with the child the Potters expected to be due within a month.  
It came as a surprise to all in the four kingdoms when both families reaffirmed the engagement after said child was born a boy. Therefore, it was due that Harold James Potter of Gryffindor was to marry Draco Lucius Malfoy of Slytherin after his 21rst birthday. The association of the reigns became the most expected event of the century and both children were bathed with that expectation since their early years.

All the royal families agreed that for one month every year all heirs would go visit one of the other kingdoms from the moment they turned 9 until their crowning ceremonies. Together they would spend January in the Ravenclaw kingdom with princess Luna enjoying the majestic winter balls her court had to offer; May with prince Draco and his people in Slytherin that had the most fragrant flowers and herbs known to mankind; they would rejoice in August at Gryffindor, to witness their harvests and abundance celebrations, and in November Cedric would receive them with Hufflepuff’s Samhain’s festival and autumn gatherings. This was with the intention of forming a considerable bond between the four of them and so between their realms.  
Before the accord took place, well, of course, prince Cedric who was the oldest, three for when the Malfoys opened their doors, attended to every one of the balls honouring the birth of the rest of the heirs. Draco and Harry were taken frequently to each other’s realms as their parents thought they needed to be familiar with the other for when the time of their marriage came.  
Princess Luna, on the other hand, was met until they started attending the various kingdoms in their respective months, as her father wanted her to learn and experience everything she could before being expected to stay guarded behind the walls of a castle —even if no one understood how was she supposed to learn all this while being a toddler.  
Before they started traveling together, they only saw each other at the balls any of their families would host: the annual unity memorialization in September, prince Harry’s birthday in July, prince Draco’s in June, the harvest season inauguration, etcetera. This was particularly important in the case of the princes of Gryffindor and Slytherin, as their thrones were to be united one day and they had to be well acquainted with each other.  
Prince Cedric was the first one to officially visit the rest as part of their arrangement, so he arrived with his governess at the Lovegood’s palace one chilly January morning. He spent the whole month getting acquainted with the Ravenclaw crew. Specially the mysterious princess Luna of five years old whom no one outside of her kingdom had seen beforehand. He would later testify her beauty and cautiousness were incomparable.  
In that way, prince Cedric would travel alone for two years from castle to castle bringing news of the other royals to his guests until they could go along with him for the visits. Whenever he was to arrive at one of the castles it became evident in the attitudes of the heirs. The first year, the three royals seemed as excited as possible, imagining how the visit would go, how the prince would be. Everyone seemed to adore the young Cedric and his charisma. Strangely, the next year, his cohort seemed to notice a change in prince Draco’s countenance as the time of prince Cedric’s visit approached.  
It was rumoured that, last August, as the prince stayed with the Potters for the first time, he caused such an impression on their son that no one—not even his best friends—could make him part from the Hufflepuff heir. Such an impression—was said—that it seemed as if prince Harry had become enamoured with young Cedric. Therefore, everyone kept an eye on the princes every gathering they could be seen together, even if the most common occurrence was to see young prince Harry accompanied either by his fellow Gryffindors or by his own Slytherin betrothed.  
Nonetheless, the rumour haunted the Slytherin heir as it hurt his reputation. Wasn’t prince Harold supposed to mind him and him uniquely? If such misstatements were to be created, they surely required some foundation. Their betrothal wasn’t mandatory after all, as they were both men, merely a request advised by their parents in hopes of a solidification on their accords. But, as the years passed and the bond between the nations became stronger and less hypothetical, certitude of their betrothal dissolved like in water.  
For when the time came that prince Draco and prince Harry were to attend the visits along with Cedric, Draco’s certainty on their engagement was close to none-existent. He was certain prince Harry only went on with the agreement to honour his parents’ wishes, not like he expected anything else before.

“You don’t need to marry me out of pity, Potter” he stated as he entered alone the parlour where Harry and Cedric were already chatting. “Diggory” he vowed politely before returning his gaze to his prince. “I’m certain any other royal you might choose to marry” he looked sideways at Cedric, “will make your parents happy.” He concluded bitterly.  
The rest of the month Draco and Cedric stayed with Harry, Harry couldn’t bother to as much as look at Cedric because the one he considered to be his best friend, his future husband, seemed to despise him out of nowhere. The Gryffindor was taken aback by this ultimatum, he wasn’t aware of any problem in their friendship, none-the-less in their engagement. “But... but I want you, Draco, you are who I want to marry.”  
“Really?” came the surprised nine year old’s response. Draco immediately looked back at the napkin in his hands.  
Harry tried to make Draco look at him once more, “unless you don’t want to marry me, that is.”  
“I do, I mean, it’s my duty, I’ll marry you.” He muttered missing his eyes.  
And so was agreed by the two kids they would marry, the way their parents intended them to. Even if they both knew no one would force them to, if one of them were to refuse. They didn’t refuse. The years passed by and everyone’s knowledge on the betrothal was blurry. Just the two of them were aware of how seriously they intended getting married at twenty one.  
However, later days would come when the uncertainty other nobles had over their engagement would cause trouble to Harry. As his future husband, for whom he ended up developing feelings at some point he didn’t acknowledge, became the centre of much of the bachelors’ attention at every gala they attended; as he received uncountable presents even if he was staying in the Gryffindor castle! Even if Harry himself was there beside him!  
This started at thirteen years old, as Draco’s beauty and charm bloomed. Particularly when they went on ambassador duties (along with Luna and Cedric) foreign dignitaries dared to try and court his betrothed. Even that Hungarian prince Ron had a crush on —long story short, Krum, said prince, went on a visit to Gryffindor and Harry could finally get back from all those times his so-called best friend mocked him about Cedric, because he would never mock Harry about Draco, the thing with Draco was way too real to be tampered with, too many feelings—had held Draco’s hand and kissed it in front of Harry’s astounded face.  
It was funny, to those who got to see them in their different facets (Luna and Cedric), how Harry would follow Draco around, how he seemed to forget anyone else was in the area if Draco ever spoke to him, how Draco’s eyes glimmered with joy every time Harry reacted slightly aggressively at whoever neared them to court Draco. How they shielded in each other from the rest of the world. Cedric remembered a time when Draco would get jealous every time Harry would as much as direct a word to him, he wondered if either of them even remembered his name at this point.  
When it came to private gatherings—in which context “private” meant their four realms and maybe some visitors—Draco handled himself in a extremely different way, he avoided Harry and kept to himself, causing the other one to follow him around adamantly. If the man already had all of Harry’s attention when they were surrounded by strangers, he became the centre of his world when there were people he actually knew.  
And still, Draco wouldn’t give him the time of day.  
To Harry, this last part was a sorrowful surprise. Every time he tried reaching for his loved one—Harry had accepted he was in love with Draco at this point—he found only a cold shoulder. He thought they were friends... that was the least he hoped out of this marriage, even if he desired so much more from Draco, even if he felt so much more...  
But no, the Slytherin prince behaved as if their engagement was merely a political transaction, one to regard with diplomacy, away from every feeling. Totally the opposite to what Harry wanted. By the time this conduct became a usual on Draco, Harry had gathered his bullocks and knew what to do. He was going to court his betrothed.  
Yes, their marriage was already agreed on, by their parents and by themselves, but he didn’t want Draco to marry him because that was his duty but because he wanted to. By the year they both turned sixteen Harry was actively giving the boy flowers from his mother’s private garden and kissing his hand every time they met, as a salute first and as a farewell when they parted. It was a gift from the gods to see how Draco’s cheeks pinked as he shoved Harry off, never actually taking away his hand or refusing to give it to him.  
Still, he wouldn’t concede in his distance. He avoided Harry as much as he could—which was not much as they were expected to be together by their failure to break the betrothal—, he made sure to have someone else around at every time. That was unless Draco wanted to be left alone with Harry in which case he would find the most recondite spots and act like the Draco Harry actually knew.  
While in public, the Slytherin heir was the outmost proper royal of their age, in private with Harry—he would found out at the age of seventeen—the boy turned into the sweetest lover in existence.  
Harry found himself falling deeper in love with his husband-to-be after this. He remembered wishing upon a star to have a marriage like his parents’ when he was told they were betrothed. He wished to find not only a lover or companion, but a best friend. He wanted to laugh so loudly that his stomach hurt and tears came out of his eyes, to smile so widely his face hurt for days, to have long walks around the private gardens discussing the most trivial things with the outmost interest, he wanted to look into Draco’s eyes and find the same devotion he saw on his mom’s when she looked at his father. Harry knew his parents wanted that for him, he wanted that for himself.  
And he found that Draco, the Draco he wanted, only when they were apart from everyone else, and it was driving him insane.  
Nonetheless, he learned how to mange as he tempted his lover into dragging him to a distant room to let go of his tension. In private, when Draco would caress Harry’s cheeks and hold his hand and flirt with him.  
Essentially, he would —finally— direct all of his attention to the man who was craving for it. Something inside of Harry screamed every time he would look at Draco’s face and find him biting his lip over a sappy smile. It warmed his very insides to see he could actually make his loved one feel, he could make him blush, Draco wanted him as well.  
Nevertheless, when they went back in public Draco would drift away from him, smile to any dignitary who approached to talk with him and immediately be surrounded by a pack of those hungry hyenas. That was, until Harry would reach for him and ask to take him to dance reminding each of the bachelors: “I’m sorry to interrupt but I got to take my betrothed to dance”.  
Which, even if Draco refused such invitations from any of the other guests, objecting he was an atrocious dancer (which was a lie), he could not refuse the one from his fiancé as he always used their parents’ expectations against Draco; and, when Draco would give him a reproachful look or try to refuse, he would continue still looking at the crowd around them “my parents are asking me to bring you, my love.” Offering his arm to be taken. So there was no way to escape.  
Draco would take Harry’s arm and they would give a slight turn around the ballroom, made sure King James and Queen Lily saw them arrive at the dance floor. The queen would smile to Draco, he would smile back sweetly.

“You are holding me too close” Draco whispered as they danced—Harry indeed holding him too firmly by the waist, too close to be proper—not actual irritation in his voice but a subtle warning. Harry only held him closer earning a huff from his loved one.  
“There’s not such a thing as too close for me, you are going to be my husband after all. They, on the other hand, were indeed too close.” He murmurs allowing his lips to be felt in Draco’s throat, voice dangerous.  
“Again with this—back away a little —first: they are no one, no one at all, I am going to marry you, you. I don’t even know any of their names. And two: you said it yourself, you are going to marry me, we are not married yet. You can still withdraw.” Draco’s voice was odd when he said the last part: half teasing, half frightened.  
“Once more with—Malf-Draco, my love, what else do I have to do to prove you I’m not doing this out of duty?” his hand came to cup Draco’s cheek who, for a second, forgot they were in public and leaned into it just to withdraw and stiff instantly as he remembered his place. This made Harry’s blood boil “What do you need to believe me I want you for you?”  
“I know you do.” he answered quietly, not pain in his eyes but adoration. The same adoration Harry craved to have in his lover, the kind of adoration he saw in his father’s face as his mother tucked Harry for bed. “That’s why I need to do this” Draco continued as the music came to a stop and he pulled back from Harry’s embrace and walked quickly towards Lady Pansy, from his cohort, leaving Harry standing in the middle of the dancefloor alone.  
Later, when they would meet on their own, Harry enquired what his last words were supposed to mean. In his bedchamber, away from everyone else’s view, Draco melted into his arms —he had started attending to Harry’s alcove when he wanted to have more private time together (which turned out to be every time they spent the night in the same dwelling) some time after he gave in and showed his real feelings to his (after all) husband-to-be—and disclosed the intentions of his act.  
“It is all in an attempt to make you look better, okay?” Draco with a nervous smile in his face tried hiding it in the crook of Harry’s neck, “I... it started as payback. I apologise for that, my childish self was too entitled to notice you cared more about me that about the others. I... I know it was very immature of me. But later, I noticed how you would give me more attention if I played distant so I kept doing it, because the idea of not having you all for myself, of you caring for anyone else, drove me insane. When others started noticing me and I saw the effect it had on you... then I was sure you were mine already. I have no doubt anymore, that is when I let you know of my interest.” Draco’s arms were around Harry’s neck, his fingers played with the strands of hair he could reach.  
“Then why you...” Harry’s voice was barely a whisper, Draco’s hand drew a caress down his neck until it reached his chest.  
“Because then I started noticing the others’ reactions.” He concluded, or so thought Harry before Draco started again, “I noticed I had gained the reputation of hard to get, that most people thought I was not going to marry you, most of the people who seek me now are just trying to be the one who gains the love of the man Harold James Potter could not win. All of them think they can steal me from you. Unable to see how impossible that is” he blurted in a mocking tone, “it is funny to me, in some wicked way. But I knew the moment I could see this clearly, the longer I kept the farce the better you would look. I am playing them, Harry. You know that I’m yours, right?”  
“I still cannot understand...”  
“It is just a game, to humiliate all those who ever thought I was a prize to gain and you were a man to fool. They think they are in a novel Harry, one where they can win the love of the princess, not Luna in this case, she is not compromised, that would not be fun. They think they can shame you by gaining my favour. It is quite hilarious really. But I don’t humour any of them. I only ever direct my word to those who know me already, to those who don’t try to court me, and to my future husband of course.  
“Even with their best efforts, I never pay attention to any of the admirers trying to usurp your place. Because they all think I don’t care about you, and they could not be more wrong. But now we need to show that to them, how fruitless their attempts have been, how yours I have always been. Subtly and properly in public that is.” He concluded in a particularly Slytherin smile Harry had only seen in every one of the members of Draco’s cohort at some point but not in him, not in his sweet and innocent Draco.  
Still, the smile absolutely fit his face. It made him look... dangerous, not to be tampered with, and it was arousing Harry to such measure...  
“Sounds like you have a plan Draco.” He muttered.  
“That’s because I always have a plan, my dearest” Draco still had that smile in his face even if his arms clung once more around Harry’s neck and he nuzzled his face against his collarbones. He wouldn’t tell Harry though, he said that part of it laid in the fact that it came as a surprise to him. What was that supposed to mean?  
He would not regret wondering, as Draco’s hand determinedly slipped into his when Harry offered to lead their way towards their parents who were inquiring for them. Draco looked at him with much more tenderness than he had before in public and even rested his head in Harry’s shoulder as they talked with their parents.  
Harry could see his mother’s knowing smile and the gaze she shared with Queen Narcissa when they saw this. He felt the blood rise to his face as Draco’s fingers started dancing over his knuckles, but he held in place, he only hoped his skin was dark enough for it not to be discernible. Harry was aware of being observed; either way, this is what he had been begging for, he was not going to back out now.  
As they kept walking around the parlour and finally landed in a sofa close to his friends, he witnessed Draco sit closer to him that he ever had before. Not for lack of place to sit, but for personal choice, his hand stayed enclosed around Harry’s as well, openly displayed for all of his friends to see. Ron’s teasing smile informed him the subtleties—not actually subtle at all if one was to consider Draco’s attitude so far—had been noticed and approved. He could not wait for the next ball.  
Even if Draco was slightly weary to showcase their affection very publicly, he was never one to back down from a dare. He still called him Potter in front of others though, and that was a fact Harry found himself in the need to change. So, he planned on assaulting his lover’s composure next opportunity he got.  
Draco’s birthday always came with a bittersweet feeling for both princes as it marked one of the times when they would spend most days away each other. Out of habit and nervousness, Draco was acting a little tense as his lover approached him with the familiarity they had grown accustomed to during May in the Slytherin realm.  
Draco tried shoving Potter away as he felt his cheeks grow hot. “Let go of me, Potter” he uttered leaning into the touch “we are in public!” Draco hissed. “And take that smirk out of your face!”

“I won’t let go, didn’t you see what they were trying? Weren’t we to prove them how wrong they are?” Harry murmured leaving a chaste kiss in Draco’s cheek making the pale boy’s blush darken even more.  
“Unhand me this very instant, Potter! This is not how we will do it!”  
“A decent step would be to stop using my surname, darling.”  
“Po-Harry, sweetheart,” Draco’s voice forcefully sweetened “please let go of me.”  
“I will when they notice you are in my arms, and I love when you call me pet names”  
“They all noticed already Harry, they know. Just let me go, please.”  
“Why are you now being so insistent on pushing me away?”  
“I’m trying to keep a proper image of our relationship, Harry! We are still not married yet,  
one thing is to act as lovers with our closed ones and another one, very different, is to show very public affection when the wedding ring is still not in our fingers.”  
“Are you asking me to propose now? You very well know I am only waiting for your sign.”  
“You know we still have to wait a couple of months for the official-”  
“Did I tell you I have a gift for you?” Harry interrupted ignoring the glare he received in  
response as he drew the little box from his pocket and showcased the present to his lover. “Harry... it is beautiful. You really should not have...”  
“I knew you would love it.”  
“I explicitly remember telling you I didn’t want you to spend any amount of money on the  
courting. That’s not why I am-”  
“I explicitly remember telling you it is not spending but investing. You are the greatest treasure I will ever get after all.”  
“You are ridiculous, you really shouldn’t have... was it too expensive?”  
“I really wouldn’t know, it is ancient. I mean, it is a family thing. Dad gave it to my mom  
when he confirmed their engagement. It would practically be like a public announcement that you accept my hand in marriage, for anyone from Gryffindor at least, that is. It is some kind of pre- engagement gift.”  
“I will take it then.”  
“If I knew all I needed for you to accept my gifts was to tell you they were from my family I would have tried that strategy long ago.”

“Just shut your mouth and help me put the necklace on, Potter!” “Back to the Potter are we? Eager to become one?”

**Author's Note:**

> This story started as a bulleted list of headcanons on how Harry and Draco would behave as betrothed princes. It was inspired by an art work by Carpemermaidtales on tumblr, I wrote a tiny list of ideas that later developed into this work. Even if the ideas themselves might have worked I wanted a proper fic on them. The interesting part about alternative universes is that they might just as well develop as a standalone story, if they are well constructed, but they will never stop being inspired from another work. Some very popular AU fanfictions (which doesn’t generally mean they are well written or done in the least) have been transformed into a published work.  
> Although, most fanfiction could be an alternative universe, as it always changes some characteristics of the canon, but only the ones who change it in extreme ways (such as this one) may be categorized under this label.


End file.
